Let us abandon preconceptions and be captivated by these Chinese creations that bewitch with their richness. We bought the GuiBao fountain pen by the Chinese manufacturer and now I propose to you my considerations.
The first contact is amazing: I felt immersed in ancient China even clutching the box in my hands (but how much does it weigh???); I skip back 22 centuries to the time of the beginning of construction of the Great Wall of China when writing was formalized in with ideograms (but we can limit ourselves to just go back 16 centuries when the ink was invented in China!)
The GuiBao box
The presentation is sumptuous: outer red cardboard box, lined with golden damask silk; then the final box, definitely hand-made, in black lacquered wood, decorated with colorful characters and masks.
Inside, the GuiBao fountain pen, a Limited Edition (2008 pcs worldwide) of large size (length 160 mm and a max diameter of 17mm, 8 mm handle; 76 grams weight), lacquer and golden metal pen with 14kt gold Medium nib; the filling system is a converter.
It’s a pen suitable for male hands, due to its weight and size; with accurate joints and ring seal between the cap and barrel – the thread is much deeper and requires more than one full rotation, but the feeling is that it provides a superior seal.
It looks amazing, and the Cloisonné decoration of the barrel, the cap and finish is very accurate and very rich. Two fire-breathing dragons playing with a pearl (hidden by the support of the clip) are drawn on the cap with golden metal, which are the combination of many different animals (goat, fish, horse, snake, and deer), according to Chinese tradition.
At the cap top, an exquisite pagoda roof – which refers to Qinian Hall (Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests) of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing – is complemented by a natural red Aka coral.
The whole pen is made with genuine Chinese lacquer, deep blue, with rose gold plated metal finishes.
On the barrel we find five Chinese masks of the Beijing Theater, surrounded by stylized clouds, all in gold and colored lacquer on blue background; the color of the masks is related to the personality of the characters: the red mask expresses courage and loyalty; the black one determination and courage; the blue one a nature of calculator; the white one a slippery character.
Look at the central ring: pictographs etched and filled with blue lacquer evoke the Four mythological animals – dragon, bird, turtle and tiger – sent by the Emperor of Heaven to protect China, representing also the four cardinal points.
The shaped clip – elastic, despite its thickness – is engraved with dragon scales, such as Ru Yi, the Chinese ceremonial scepter which means “what you want” and ends with the Duke company logo.
I must say that it’s a pen that does not go unnoticed!
The instruction book is … eccentric, as well.
CONCLUSIONS
The appearance of this pen is very special and will not disappoint fans of the genre.
The rich decorative style is appealing, very typical, the manufacturing is accurate and unsparing of materials.
The package is a fine, hand-made, wooden lacquered box, perfect for the pen housing, and could be used for many other purposes.
Everything positive, then? To draw a definitive conclusion, it is necessary to use the pen, but a first examination this fountain pen provides excellent “value for money”.
The GuiBao is already included in our online catalog and you can book it at a discounted price for a few days.
Susanna
Giardino Italiano
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And if you love the fine writing, read the article dedicated to the Confucius: a record fountain pen!
Sorry, but this pen does not appeal to me. Thanks.
I’ve actually been tearful I don’t possess the funds to purchase your pens in the past but this one – this is an amazing pen that I would surely buy if I had the ability to do so.
It won’t happen but if I were ever to win the lottery, the first purchase after paying off & doing repairs required to our home, paying the bills, and setting up trusts so our daughters will have enough to build a life with a nest egg – my next purchase would be the favorites among the pens I had the pleasure of viewing right here, especially this one. Some collect stamps, shells, my girls collect rocks from as many areas around the world as they can but my love is dip pens but sadly, I have nothing this exsquite in my collection and likely never will but one can dream. This would be among my dream pen along with several of my favorites of the Giardino Italiano line of pens. They are quite beautiful. I am only sad they will never sit with my collection but at least someone will have this pen and others of equal beauty from here in their collections. That and the appreciation of these beautiful works of art by collectors give me solace.
What is the price
Be so kind to follow the link…
It’s: http://www.giardino.it/pens/duke/guibao.php – it’s our webshop.